Google Glass, What It Does, How to Get One

The Google Glass glasses are promising a more comfortable and natural experience when it comes to accessing services that we are usually using via a smartphone, assuring that the relevant info is always in your visual field. In order to understand better how its invention works, Google has published a presentation video and even a website where you can find out more details about the Google Glass.

Briefly, Google Glass can help you navigate during your trips using Google Maps, search the web using Google Search service, or capture videos and photos of your life events. Helped by the integrated camera and mic, the glasses can translate in real time the texts caught in the visual field or the words said by your conversation partner.

Instead of commands given using the touch interface of a smartphone, Glass is responding to voice commands, compiled after the user activates the voice recognition function by saying “OK Glass.” For example, by saying “OK Glass, take a picture” you will activate the camera, the operation being confirmed by displaying the picture on the screen.

The command “OK Glass” followed by “Start Recording” will activate the video function of the camera, and with a similar command a Google+ Hangouts session can be initiated, so the friends in your circle will be able to watch a real time video from the front-facing camera integrated in Google Glass’ frame.

Besides translation and voice commands, the voice recognition function can also help the user dictate text messages and introduce queries in Google Search.

Being water resistant and available in 5 different colors, the Google Glass smartglasses have a price of $1,500. Unfortunately if you have the money that doesn’t mean you will have the device, too.

For the time being, Google Glass is only available in a limited series of 8,000 copies, which will end in the hands of the enthusiasts and the developers with creative spirit. In order to be accepted, those who want to purchase Glass must explain to an independent jury why acquiring the smartglasses is important to them and how would they use the gadget, all these in a 50 words text. They can also attach 5 photos and a video of up to 15 seconds in their attempt to be persuasive. The requests are accepted until February 27, with a limit of 5 requests per person.

After you pay 1,500 for Glass you must go and get them yourself, attending at one of the “pick-up experience” events held in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.